[Goldenweeds and Rabbitbrush: The Genera Chrysothamnus and Ericameria East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

Downy Green Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. puberulus

Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. puberulus, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. puberula

Green Rabbitbrush, Sticky-flowered Rabbitbrush, Sticky-leaf Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. pumilus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. stenophyllus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. typicus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus var. viscidiflorus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. pumilus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. stenophyllus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. typicus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. viscidiflorus, Ericameria viscidiflora, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. viscidiflora, Ericameria viscidiflora var. stenophylla)

The photo above shows the numerous stem leaves of Green rabbitbrush (var. puberulus) as seen along the first half mile of Arizona Creek Road at the eastern base of the Pueblo Mountains of southeastern Oregon..........June 1, 2012. Note the narrow leaves with a single vein.

Characteristics:

Green rabbit-brush is a freely branched shrub from 20-120 cm tall. The stems are erect, with brittle twigs. The stems are glabrous with stiff spreading hairs. The leaves are 3-nerved and are linear to linear-oblong, green, and lack hairs. The leaves are curled or crisp-margined and range from 1-6 cm long and 0.5-10 mm wide. The leaves are often twisted or curled through one complete turn.

The yellow flower heads form cymose clusters at the branch tips. The flower heads are discoid and narrow, consisting of 4-8 (usually 5) flowers. The involucre is 4-8 mm high. The bracts are strongly 4-ranked withrounded to obtuse tips, glabrous and sticky. The disk corollas range from 4.5-7 mm long. Green rabbit-brush flowers from late summer into fall.


Subspecies of Green Rabbitbrush Found in the Pacific Northwest:

subspecies lanceolatus: Young twigs and leaves covered with tiny, short, spreading hairs. Low plants from 20-50 cm high. Leaves mostly 2-5 mm wide and 3-5 nerved. Leaves seldom twisted.

subspecies puberulus: Young twigs and leaves covered with tiny, short, spreading hairs. Low plants from 20-50 cm high. Leaves mostly 1-2 mm wide and 1-nerved.

subspecies viscidiflorus: Young twigs and leaves usually glabrous although the leaf margins may be ciliate. Plants variable in height, but may be up to 120 cm high. Leaves mostly over 1 mm wide with more than 1 vein.


Habitat:

Green rabbitbrush is often found with sagebrush and juniper in dry open places in the valleys, plains, and foothills. It may occasionally be found to moderate elevations in the mountains.


Range:

Green rabbitbrush is found from extreme southern British Columbia south along the east edge of the Cascades to southern California, east to Idaho and south to northern New Mexico and Arizona.


Green Rabbitbrush, Sticky-flowered Rabbitbrush, Sticky-leaf Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. pumilus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. stenophyllus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. typicus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus var. viscidiflorus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. pumilus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. stenophyllus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. typicus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. viscidiflorus, Ericameria viscidiflora, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. viscidiflora, Ericameria viscidiflora var. stenophylla) - Downy Green Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. puberulus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. puberulus, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. puberula)

Green rabbitbrush (var. puberulus) as seen at left along the first half mile of Arizona Creek Road at the eastern base of the Pueblo Mountains of southeastern Oregon..........June 1, 2012. The photo at right shows what appears to be green rabbitbrush (var. puberulus) along Forest Road 2901 near the junction with Oregon Highway 31, BLM lands about 1 mile east of Picture Rock Pass, Lake County, OR........April 30, 2017.

Paul Slichter